On this day, point guard Isaiah Thomas scored 53 points in a 129-119 playoff victory over the Washington Wizards in 2017.
The win was especially emotional for IT, as it was on what would have been his sister Chyna’s 23rd birthday, who passed earlier in the week in an automobile accident.
Highest scoring Playoff games in Celtics history
John Havlicek: 54
Isaiah Thomas: 53
Ray Allen: 51
Sam Jones: 51
Bob Cousy: 50 https://t.co/rf23HeKrzt— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) May 2, 2020
To add insult to injury, the Seattle native had spent hours in the dentist’s chair ahead of the game addressing a tooth which had gotten knocked out earlier in the series.
It was the second-highest postseason point total logged by a Celtic, a point behind forward John Havlicek’s 54-point record and just ahead of Ray Allen’s 51-point performance from Game 6 of the 2009 first round series against the Bulls.
“The least I can do is go out there and play for her,” Thomas said after the game via the A.P. “I knew once game-time came, my guys would get me going … There was no way I was sitting out.”
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